Archive for November, 2012

Dear friends, old and new, In 1999 I found myself at the craft market on the Zambian side of Victoria Falls. Fifty booths of vendors waited for the next tourist bus. It was a mystery to me how these vendors could possibly make a living. A Mukuni craftsman named Foster Wachata convinced me to take [...]

Eighteen-year-old Mukesh has made extensive coverage on issues in his community for India Unheard (Video Volunteers), which span from agriculture to corruption in Jharkhand’s education system.

In Jharkhand mining has played a large role in the change of weather conditions. That crops fail every year is not the only problem. Farmers have been forced to leave their homes to look for sources of income in cities.

This video is part of a project by Video Volunteers and the Indian Network for Ethics and Climate Change to document the effects of climate change on local communities across 14 states in India. These communities tell our CCs how changing weather patterns affects their livelihoods and that little has been done to help them cope.

In Madagascar, an estimated 65 percent of the population of 19 million live on little more than US$1 a day and the country has long been plagued by political crises. Climate change adds insult to injury. Farther south, communities are under siege from the relentless march of sand; dunes sweep in on the wind and claim the void left by farmland choked dry by years of drought. In villages such as Androka, the sand and floods have forced hundreds of people to flee. Some have taken refuge in new towns, but remain hostage to the ravages of climate.

Report issued by the International Institute for Environment and Development on monies pledged versus actually committed to mitigate climate change. Not so much…

Wealthy nations are still not meeting their Copenhagen climate finance pledges. While we await the final numbers from a few contributors, reports submitted to the UNFCCC in May 2012 show that only two of the ten contributors committed their ‘fair share’ of fast-start climate finance, assessed on their capability and their responsibility for the problem. The United States, European Union and Iceland committed half or less than half of their fair share. The result is that only $23.6 billion has been committed, short of the $30 billion pledged. Only one-fifth of climate finance supports adaptation in developing countries, in spite of promises to ‘balance’ it with mitigation funding. Only Switzerland received a ‘pass’ grade in this year’s transparency scorecard. Less than half of committed funds are grants and only two per cent are flowing through the UN, where they could strengthen trust between contributor and recipient nations. It is past time to meet the long-agreed principles: new and additional, predictable, and adequate climate finance.

Greenhouse gases, carbon footprints, energy efficiency, protracted debates between politicians and thinkers. Is this what you think of when you think of climate change? For most people climate change is something that lies in the distant future.

For people like Bhan, Devidas, Jitendra Luxmi and their communities, who depend heavily on climate sensitive natural resources, climate change is a reality that has altered their lives drastically. Ironically, this vulnerable section of society is the one that is most excluded from policy decisions on climate change.

Through a collaborative project, Video Volunteers and the Indian Network on Ethics and Climate Change have documented the effects of climate change on local communities across 14 states in India. This Web show is a compilation of the 18 videos that were created by Community Correspondents across the country. The videos make it very clear that the ground reality of climate change cannot be ignored any longer and that India must incorporate this reality in a strong policy to tackle climate change and assist those affected by it.

You’ve heard what the climate change experts have to say. Now you can see the stories of those directly affected by climate change. To ensure that these voices are heard and included in the climate change discussion, we ask you to forward this webpage to others, particularly organisations that work with climate change.

An important study from the Climate and Development Knowledge Network on impacts of climate change on vulnerable households, and the limits of adaptation. New thinking and practical approaches are needed to address the threats to human security that climate change combined with social vulnerability pose for current and future patterns of loss and damage. The report has case studies from five countries across three major regions (Bangladesh, Bhutan, Gambia, Kenya and Micronesia).

Mr. President, Like millions of Americans, I was touched by your comments on election eve and again during your acceptance speech in Chicago, especially when you spoke of the future you envision for our children. You said “All those kids in inner cities, small farm towns — kids dreaming of becoming scientists or doctors, engineers [...]

This annual report presents the most comprehensive global assessment of progress to date, based on data provided by a large number of international organizations within and outside the United Nations system. The aggregate figures in the report provide an overview of regional progress under the eight goals and are a convenient way to track advances over time. The report is coordinated and published by the Statistics Division of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs.